as in to accumulate
to increase in amount as time passes
They accrued vacation time throughout the calendar year. A penny-pincher who is accruing a fortune by spending next to nothing.
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Recent Examples of accrue
This is similar to baseboards and crown molding—given their ledges, door and window frames naturally accrue a decent amount of dust.
—
Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 8 Feb. 2026
But for many others, the decision could ultimately mean missing out on tens or hundreds of thousands in retirement savings or accruing more interest than necessary on bad debt.
—Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 7 Feb. 2026
For example, a charge on your credit card that starts as a temporary fix or a short-term borrowing solution for a tight month can turn into a long-term drain when the compounding credit card interest charges start to accrue, ultimately stretching repayment out over years instead of months.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
The earnings and increases in value will accrue tax free, and distributions will not be taxed.
—Elliot Raphaelson, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for accrue
Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 8 Feb. 2026
But for many others, the decision could ultimately mean missing out on tens or hundreds of thousands in retirement savings or accruing more interest than necessary on bad debt.
—Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 7 Feb. 2026
For example, a charge on your credit card that starts as a temporary fix or a short-term borrowing solution for a tight month can turn into a long-term drain when the compounding credit card interest charges start to accrue, ultimately stretching repayment out over years instead of months.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
The earnings and increases in value will accrue tax free, and distributions will not be taxed.
—Elliot Raphaelson, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for accrue
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accrue
Verb
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Over 12 years of eligibility, this could accumulate to more than €1,440 ($1,700) per child, not counting the potential investment gains from compounding interest over the decade.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
16 Feb. 2026
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Currently, the odds favor areas north of the Massachusetts Turnpike for accumulating snow with mainly rain or a rain/snow mix south of the Pike.—
Terry Eliasen,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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To maximize benefits, note that higher cocoa content means less sugar and a richer chocolate with more beneficial antioxidants.—
Mura Dominko,
Martha Stewart,
11 Feb. 2026
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The board parsed the committee’s initial list with an eye toward maximizing potential gains.—
Steven Mihailovich,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The following burglaries are from reports collected from the Little Rock and North Little Rock police departments.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
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Winners of the Lucky for Life top prize of $1,000 a day for life and second prize of $25,000 a year for life can decide to collect the prize for a minimum of 20 years or take a lump sum cash payment.—
Staff Reports,
The Providence Journal,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Accrue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accrue. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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